The proposed research involves the investigation of the central processing of long-duration thermal and mechanical nociceptive stimuli presented to the skin. The interaction between the systems responsible for the processing of nociceptive stimuli and of vibrotactile stimuli will also be examined. These studies will involve the combination of psychophysical measurement of sensory experience and non-invasive functional brain imaging of healthy human volunteers in order to discern where and how the brain processes information related to non-noxious and noxious skin stimulation. The ability of vibration to reduce pain will also be explored in order to assess the parameters of vibratory stimuli and the characteristics of pain that are relevant to the reduction of pain, in hopes that such results eventually lead to alternative treatment options for those suffering clinical pain.
